The CGRS receives many requests from guardians about the state of affairs of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors or requests to accelerate the processing of an asylum application. We understand both the guardians’ and minors’ concern about the processing times.
Waiting time for an interview
As a result of the asylum crisis of 2015-2016, the CGRS – the same applies to other European asylum instances - faced an exceptional situation characterised by a very high number of asylum applications, including applications from unaccompanied minors. The CGRS has recruited additional staff and makes every effort to ensure the qualitative and quick processing of asylum applications. Unaccompanied minors often have to wait one year or more for their invitation to an interview at the CGRS. A qualitative and individual assessment remains our priority. It is therefore impossible to process all asylum applications at the same time.
Order in which interviews are planned
The date on which the CGRS receives the asylum file from the Immigration Office determines to a large extent the order in which the CGRS invites your pupil for an interview. But other factors also determine the degree of priority when we plan an asylum interview: e.g. a minor’s serious medical condition (confirmed by certificates), his/her age, his/her profile or country of origin… Asylum applications filed by other persons and linked to the minor’s application also influence the planning of interviews.
Afghan minors: a fully completed questionnaire leads more quickly to an interview
Afghans still make up the largest group of unaccompanied minors who await an asylum decision. Since April of 2016, the CGRS requests them to complete a questionnaire. The CGRS gives priority to the minors who fully complete the questionnaire (accompanied by documents) or provide a satisfactory explanation of why this is impossible. The date on which the CGRS receives this information serves as a guideline for the planning of the interview. By clicking on this link (www.cgrs.be/en/news/start-use-questionnaire-afghan-minors), you can read to which criteria your reaction to the questionnaire has to fulfil. The CGRS receives many complete questionnaires with the necessary documents. This contributes to a good and efficient asylum processing. We thank you and your pupil for this effort.
Other factors relevant for the interview planning
When organising a minor’s asylum interview, the CGRS also has to take into account the availability of a protection officer, an interpreter, the guardian and an interview room… Therefore it is impossible to plan an interview simply on a date suggested spontaneously by you.
Further increase of the number of interviews and decisions
Since the end of 2016, the number of interviews of unaccompanied minors has been increasing (see also www.cgrs.be/en/news/examination-asylum-applications-afghan-minors). In February 2017, twenty protection officers (mostly French-speaking), are receiving training in ‘interviewing techniques for children’ and ‘cultural sensitivity and vulnerability of the child’ (Solentra). The CGRS is thus reinforcing its minors’ team. More interviews and decisions will result from this in the coming months.
Information and acceleration requests
You have not received any information on your pupil’s asylum application for quite some time? As explained above, this does not mean that the CGRS has overlooked his or her asylum application or that his or her asylum file is incomplete. We kindly ask you to limit requests (state of affairs, acceleration…) to the minors’ coordination team to the absolute minimum. This will enable us to optimally invest time in the detailed examination of your pupil’s application. Thank you for your cooperation.